Working with doctors, office managers, and consultants, there is one common thread I have been able to help teams with that is a game-changer . . . understanding the Dentrix KPIs (key performance indicators) and why it matters.
Looking at the Dentrix reports and key performance indicators is critical to creating systems that increase the productivity, maximize profitability, and build efficient systems. Numbers show you when you are scheduling patients for optimum care and getting paid for what your produce. This gives you something to celebrate. Numbers also show you when patients are leaving the practice or not returning for their regular hygiene visits. This gives you a clear picture of when you need to tweak your systems.
Numbers tell a story . . .
I often get text messages from my consultant friends when they are working with an office and looking at reports that they cannot quite decipher. They can’t put their finger on it, but something doesn’t look right. They run another report, get different numbers, and now they are really confused. One thing I love about Dentrix is that there are multiple ways to accomplish the same thing and, with reports, there are multiple ways to filter a report. What I want to do for you in this article is help you understand how Dentrix pulls numbers on some of the most common reports.
Let’s dive in . . .
First, let’s look at the filtering options when running reports. This first step will help you identify how to create consistency when generating the most common reports in Dentrix.
- You can filter most reports by provider ID. Now, it is important to understand that some reports look at the patient’s primary provider and some look at the treating provider, so it is important to know how Dentrix is pulling the data. For example, an Aging Report looks at Primary Provider, but a Practice Analysis Report pulls data for the treating provider.
- One parameter that most people do not understand is the Billing Type. When I ask if my students understand what a Billing Type is, most cannot give me a definition. Think of a Billing Type as a way of putting patient accounts into groups where you can generate reports or billing statements to include or exclude these groups. Depending on what Billing Types you are selecting in your parameters will depend on the data you get.
Some examples of good Billing Types:
- Membership plans
- Ortho accounts
- Collection accounts
- Medicaid patients
- Another common parameter that can skew your numbers is choosing Entry Date or Procedure Date. Do you know the difference?
Let me give you an example. Your doctor comes in on the weekend and sees an emergency patient on Saturday, January 30 and, on Monday, she asks you to post an emergency exam and one PA x-ray. The Entry Date would be February 1 and the Procedure Date would be January 30. See how this could change your numbers?
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Next, on two of the most influential reports in the Dentrix software, it is important to know how Dentrix calculates the numbers. The Daily Huddle Report and the Practice Advisor Report will pull data on new patients, case acceptance, production, and patient retention. Here is what you need to know . . .
- New Patients in Dentrix are tracked by the first visit date located on the Family File. You can manually edit this date so your new patient numbers are more accurate.
- Case Acceptance is calculated by the amount diagnosed and the amount that is completed or marked as accepted on the treatment plan. It is also important to remember that this case acceptance includes the dollar amount in the hygiene schedule.
- Make sure the production per day and per hour is accurate by making sure your appointment book setup is accurate. There is a hierarchy of appointment book setup and that is important to understand. Please reach out if you would like my tip sheet on this setup.
- The patient retention is determined by how well your continuing care system is working. The continuing care is the lifeblood of your practice and it is important that this system is spot on.
Finally, if you care about practice numbers as much as I do, then go to the next level. You can purchase my online course “Understanding Your Dentrix KPIs.” You can find it in my online store by CLICKING HERE
